1. 1 Respirator Training and Fit Testing

2. 2 Definitions l High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter l Immediately dangerous to life of health (IDLH) l Negative pressure respirator l Oxygen deficient atmosphere l Positive pressure respirator l Powered air- purifying respirator l Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) l Supplied-air respirator (SAR)

3. 3 General Information l Why respirator is necessary l How improper fit, use, or maintenance can effect the purpose of the respirator

4. 4 Limitations and Capabilities l Oxygen level in atmosphere must be between 19.5% and 21% l Altitude? l Will only work with corresponding filters or cartridges l Can protect you from many, but not all, hazardous levels of materials l If configured and worn properly, respirators can protect you from inhalation hazards

5. 5 Inspection, Donning, Doffing, Use, and Checking Seals l Always inspect respirator before donning l Check integrity of seals and cartridges before putting on respirator

6. 6 Maintenance and Storage l Cleaning and disinfecting l Storage l Inspection

7. 7 Medical Signs and Symptoms l The following are signs or symptoms that may prevent the use of a respirator: »Seizures »Claustrophobia »Asthma »Emphysema »Pneumonia »Collapsed Lung »Lung Cancer »Broken Ribs »Chest Injuries/Surgeries »Any other lung problems »Heart or Circulation problems »Anxiety

8. 8 Organization of Standard (a)Permissible practice (b)Definitions (c)Respirator program (d)Selection of respirators (e)Medical evaluation (f) Fit testing (g)Use of respirators (h)Maintenance and care (i)Breathing air quality and use (j)Identification of filters, cartridges, and canisters (k)Training and information (l)Program evaluation (m)Recordkeeping (n)Dates (o)Appendices (mandatory) A: Fit Testing Procedures B-1: User Seal Checks B-2: Cleaning Procedures C: Medical Questionnaire D: Information for Employees Wearing Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard

9. 9 Permissible Practice l The primary means to control occupational diseases caused by breathing contaminated air is through the use of feasible engineering controls, such as enclosures, confinement of operations, ventilation, or substitution of less toxic materials l When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted, appropriate respirators shall be used pursuant to this standard

10. 10 Permissible Practice l Employer shall provide respirators, when necessary, which are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended l Employer shall be responsible for establishment and maintenance of a respirator program which includes the requirements of paragraph (c), Respiratory protection program

11. 11 Respiratory Inlet Covering l That portion of a respirator that forms the protective barrier between the user’s respiratory tract and an air-purifying device or breathing air source, or both l May be a facepiece, helmet, hood, suit, or a mouthpiece respirator with nose clamp

12. 12 Tight -Fitting Coverings Quarter Mask Half Mask Full Facepiece Mouthpiece/Nose Clamp (no fit test required)

13. 13 Loose-Fitting Coverings HoodHelmet Loose-Fitting Facepiece Full Body Suit

14. 14 Filter A component used in respirators to remove solid or liquid aerosols from the inspired air. Also called air purifying element.

15. 15 High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) Filter that is at least 99.97% efficient in removing disperse particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter or larger. Equivalent NIOSH 42 CFR 84 particulate filters are the N100, R100, and P100 filters.

16. 16 Canister or Cartridge A container with a filter, sorbent, or catalyst, or combination of these items, which removes specific contaminants from the air passed through the container.

17. 17 Service Life The period of time that a respirator, filter or sorbent, or other respiratory equipment provides adequate protection to the wearer.

18. 18 End-of-Service-Life Indicator (ESLI) A system that warns the user of the approach of the end of adequate respiratory protection; e.g., the sorbent is approaching or is at saturation longer effective.

19. 19 Negative Pressure Respirator A respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative during inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.

20. 20 Filtering Facepiece (Dust Mask) A negative pressure particulate respirator with a filter as an integral part of the facepiece or with the entire facepiece composed of the filtering medium.

21. 21 Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) A respirator with an air-purifying filter, cartridge, or canister that removes specific air contaminants by passing ambient air through the air-purifying element.

22. 22 Positive Pressure Respirator A respirator in which the pressure inside the respiratory inlet covering exceeds the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.

23. 23 Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) An air-purifying respirator that uses a blower to force the ambient air through air-purifying elements to the inlet covering.

24. 24 User Seal Check An action conducted by the respirator user to determine if the respirator is properly seated to the face. Positive Pressure Check Negative Pressure Check

25. 25 Qualitative Fit Test (QLFT) A pass/fail fit test to assess the adequacy of respirator fit that relies on the individual’s response to the test agent.

26. 26 Quantitative Fit Test (QNFT) An assessment of the adequacy of respirator fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator.

27. 27 Fit Factor A quantitative estimate of the fit of a particular respirator to a specific individual, and typically estimates the ratio: Concentration of a substance in ambient air Concentration inside the respirator when worn

28. 28 Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) An atmosphere that poses an immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or would impair an individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere.

29. 29 Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere An atmosphere with an oxygen content below 19.5% by volume.

30. 30 Physician or Other Licensed Health Care Professional (PLHCP) An individual whose legally permitted scope of practice (i.e., license, registration, or certification) allows him/her to independently provide, or be delegated the responsibility to provide, some or all of the health care services required by paragraph (e), Medical evaluation.

31. 31 Respirator Program l Must develop a written program with worksite- specific procedures when respirators are necessary or required by the employer l Must update program as necessary to reflect changes in workplace conditions that affect respirator use l Must designate a program administrator who is qualified by appropriate training or experience to administer or oversee the program and conduct the required program evaluations l Must provide respirators, training, and medical evaluations at no cost to the employee

32. 32 Respirator Program (cont’d) Where Respirator Use is Not Required l If voluntary use is permissible, employer must provide users with the information contained in Appendix D l Must establish and implement those elements of a written program necessary to ensure that employee is medically able to use the respirator and that it is cleaned, stored, and maintained so it does not present a health hazard to the user

33. 33 Respirator Program (cont’d) Where Respirator Use is Not Required Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written program employees whose only use of respirators involves voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks). l Employer may provide respirators at employee’s request or permit employees to use their own respirators, if employer determines that such use in itself will not create a hazard

34. 34 Respirator Program Elements 1. Selection 2. Medical evaluation 3. Fit testing 4. Use 5. Maintenance and care 6. Breathing air quality and use 7. Training 8. Program evaluation

35. 35 Selection of Respirators Employer must select and provide an appropriate respirator based on the respiratory hazards to which the worker is exposed and workplace and user factors that affect respirator performance and reliability.

36. 36 Selection of Respirators (cont’d) l Select a NIOSH-certified respirator that shall be used in compliance with the conditions of its certification l Identify and evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace, including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures and identification of the contaminant’s chemical state and physical form

37. 37 Selection of Respirators (cont’d) l Where exposure cannot be identified or reasonably estimated, the atmosphere shall be considered IDLH l Select respirators from a sufficient number of models and sizes so that the respirator is acceptable to, and correctly fits, the user

38. 38 Classes of Filters l While Part 11 classifications were substance-specific (dust, fume, mist, etc.), Part 84 classifies particulate filters by efficiency and performance characteristics against non-oil and oil- containing hazards l There are nine classes of filters (three levels of filter efficiency, each with three categories of resistance to filter efficiency degradation)

39. 39 Classes of Filters l Levels of filter efficiency are 95%, 99%, and 99.97% l Categories of resistance to filter efficiency degradation are labeled N, R, and P l Use of the filter will be clearly marked on the filter, filter package, or respirator box (e.g., N95 means N-series filter at least 95% efficient)

40. 40 Selection Selection of N-, R-, and P-series filters depends on the presence or absence of oil particles, as follows: l If no oil particles are present, use any series (N, R, or P) l If oil particles are present, use only R or P series l If oil particles are present and the filter is to be used for more than one work shift, use only P series N for Not resistant to oil R for Resistant to oil P for oil Proof Selection of filter efficiency (i.e., 95%, 99%, or 99.97%) depends on how much filter leakage can be accepted.

41. 41 Medical Evaluation Procedures l Must provide a medical evaluation to determine employee’s ability to use a respirator, before fit testing and use l Must identify a PLHCP to perform medical evaluations using a medical questionnaire or an initial medical examination that obtains the same information l Medical evaluation must obtain the information requested by the questionnaire in Sections 1 and 2, Part A of App. C

42. 42 Medical Evaluation Procedures l Follow-up medical examination is required for an employee who gives a positive response to any question among questions 1 through 8 in Section 2, Part A of App. C or whose initial medical examination demonstrates the need for a follow- up medical examination

43. 43 Medical Evaluation Additional Medical Evaluations l Annual review of medical status is not required l At a minimum, employer must provide additional medical evaluations if: »Employee reports medical signs or symptoms related to the ability to use a respirator »PLHCP, supervisor, or program administrator informs the employer that an employee needs to be reevaluated »Information from the respirator program, including observations made during fit testing and program evaluation, indicates a need »Change occurs in workplace conditions that may substantially increase the physiological burden on an employee

44. 44 Fit Testing negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece Before an employee uses any respirator with a negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece, the employee must be fit tested with the same make, model, style, and size of respirator that will be used.

45. 45 Fit Testing l Employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirators must pass an appropriate qualitative fit test (QLFT) or quantitative fit test (QNFT): »prior to initial use, »whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) is used, and »at least annually thereafter

46. 46 Fit Testing l Must conduct an additional fit test whenever the employee reports, or the employer or PLHCP makes visual observations of, changes in the employee’s physical condition (e.g., facial scarring, dental changes, cosmetic surgery, or obvious change in body weight) that could affect respirator fit

47. 47 Fit Testing (cont’d) l The fit test must be administered using an OSHA-accepted QLFT or QNFT protocol contained in Appendix A »QLFT Protocols: –Isoamyl acetate –Saccharin –Bitrex –Irritant smoke »QNFT Protocols: –Generated Aerosol (corn oil, salt, DEHP) –Condensation Nuclei Counter (PortaCount) –Controlled Negative Pressure (Occupational Health Dynamics Quantifit)

48. 48 Fit Testing (cont’d) l QLFT may only be used to fit test negative pressure APRs that must achieve a fit factor or 100 or less l If the fit factor is determined to be equal to or greater than 100 for tight- fitting half facepieces or equal to or greater than 500 for tight-fitting full facepieces, the QNFT has been passed with that respirator

49. 49 Use of Respirators Facepiece Seal Protection l Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces must not be worn by employees who have facial hair or any condition that interferes with the face-to- facepiece seal or valve function l Corrective glasses or goggles or other PPE must be worn in a manner that does not interfere with the face-to-facepiece seal l Employees wearing tight-fitting respirators must perform a user seal check each time they put on the respirator using the procedures in Appendix B-1 or equally effective manufacturer’s procedures

50. 50 Use of Respirators Continuing Respirator Effectiveness l Maintain appropriate surveillance of work area conditions and degree of exposure or stress; reevaluate the respirator’s effectiveness when it may be affected by changes in these

51. 51 Use of Respirators Continuing Respirator Effectiveness l Employees must leave the respirator use area: »to wash their faces and respirator facepieces as necessary »if they detect vapor or gas breakthrough, changes in breathing resistance, or leakage of the facepiece »to replace the respirator or filter, cartridge, or canister

52. 52 Use of Respirators Continuing Respirator Effectiveness l If employee detects vapor or gas breakthrough, changes in breathing resistance, or leakage of the facepiece, employer must replace or repair the respirator before allowing employee to return to the work area

53. 53 Maintenance and Care l Provide each user with a respirator that is clean, sanitary and in good working order l Use procedures in Appendix B-2 or equivalent manufacturer’s recommendations l Clean and disinfect at the following intervals: »as often as necessary when issued for exclusive use »before being worn by different individuals when issued to more than one employee »after each use for emergency respirators and those used in fit testing and training

54. 54 Identification of Filters, Cartridges, and Canisters !All filters, cartridges and canisters used in the workplace must be labeled and color coded with the NIOSH approval label !The label must not be removed and must remain legible !“TC number” is no longer on cartridges or filters (Part 84) !Marked with “NIOSH”, manufacturer’s name and part number, and an abbreviation to indicate cartridge or filter type (e.g., N95, P100, etc.) !Matrix approval label supplied, usually as insert in box

55. 55 Employers must provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators. Training and Information

56. 56 Training and Information l Employees who are required to use respirators must be trained such that they can demonstrate knowledge of at least: »why the respirator is necessary and how improper fit, use, or maintenance can compromise its protective effect »limitations and capabilities of the respirator »effective use in emergency situations »how to inspect, put on and remove, use and check the seals »maintenance and storage »recognition of medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent effective use »general requirements of this standard

57. 57 Training and Information (cont’d) l Training must be provided prior to use, unless acceptable training has been provided by another employer within the past 12 months

58. 58 Training and Information (cont’d) l Retraining is required annually, and when: »changes in the workplace or type of respirator render previous training obsolete »there are inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use »any other situation arises in which retraining appears necessary

59. 59 Training and Information (cont’d) l The basic advisory information in Appendix D must be provided to employees who wear respirators when use is not required by this standard or by the employer

60. 60 Program Evaluation l Must conduct evaluations of the workplace as necessary to ensure effective implementation of the program l Must regularly consult employees required to use respirators to assess their views on program effectiveness and to identify and correct any problems »factors to be assessed include, but are not limited to: –respirator fit (including effect on workplace performance) –appropriate selection –proper use –proper maintenance

61. 61 Recordkeeping l Records of medical evaluations must be retained and made available per 29 CFR 1910.1020 l A record of fit tests must be established and retained until the next fit test is administered l A written copy of the current program must be retained l Written materials required to be retained must be made available upon request to affected employees and OSHA

62. 62 Any Questions?